Our products provide users with state-of-the-art features

Tekla provides model-based software for customers in construction, infrastructure and energy industries worldwide - may be it a contractor, fabricator, precast fabricator or a rebar fabricator. Especially in the case of complex and multi-disciplinary projects, Tekla is a solution provider. Nirmalya Chatterjee - COO & Business Director, Tekla India, is in conversation with the Editor of ICR.

Brief us about Tekla and its activities. What are the various products and services you offer?
Tekla provides construction industry a chance to achieve greater competitive edge with Building Information Modeling (BIM) and structural design software. Established in 1966, Tekla has customers in over 100 countries, offices in over 20 countries, and is part of a global partner network. Tekla Building & Construction is a part of Trimble Buildings, a group focused on technology solutions that improve collaboration, efficiency and accuracy across the design-build-operate lifecycle of buildings. From the beginning of 2016, Tekla as a company will become a part of the Trimble brand, and Trimble will continue to produce the Tekla family of software products.

Tekla was the first software developer to consolidate the design and engineering of the main structure of a building into a 3D BIM and has become -¦the master of modeling-¦ especially in large and complex structures. Our products have brought about higher productivity in design, detailing fabrication and actual construction. The main sources for this are reduction of errors and more automation in design and fabrication through usage of digital information.

Tekla develops model-based software products for the architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) market, for local government use and for power companies. These products provide users with state-of-the-art features and functionality for creating, analysing, and changing model-based information. Feasible implementation of the products is made possible by Tekla-¦s own technology platform and architecture. Highlighted below are the key products offered by Tekla Tekla Structures BIM software: Tekla Structures is one software solution that has different configurations to match different needs of customers. Tekla Structures has 30 localised environments and 14 user interface language to make using and implementing the software easier around the world.

Key benefits:

Collaborate and integrate thanks to open BIM approach.

Model all materials.

Handle even the largest, most complex structures.

Create accurate, constructible models.

Let information flow from design and detailing to construction site

Tekla BIM sight: Tekla BIMsight is the ultimate professional tool for construction project collaboration. The entire construction workflow can combine their models, check for conflicts and share information using the same easy to use BIM environment. Tekla BIMsight enables project participants to identify and solve issues already in the design phase before construction.

Key benefits:

Combine and share models

Check for conflicts

Communicate using notes

Tekla Field3D - BIM collaboration in your pocket: Tekla Field3D is an easy-to-use 3D tool for utilising Building Information Models (BIM) on Apple devices. Tekla Field3D supports a new way of working with AEC models through the building lifecycle from design to demolition. With Tekla Field3D, even stakeholders without desktop BIM software can combine and view 3D models. It is the high-performance IFC viewer for iOS allows you to view and share 3D models and communicate anywhere, on the go.

Key benefits:

Easily view and navigate your 3D models

Share your models within the project

Collaborate with the project team

What about the parent company and its India-specific operations? Which of their products & services are not available in India?
In 2011, Trimble bought Tekla in order to create a compelling set of productivity solutions for the construction BIM software to complement Trimble-¦s solutions that connect the whole design-build-operate lifecycle of buildings. Trimble is a global hardware and software provider of integrated positioning solutions for the mobile workforce. Founded in 1978 by ex-Hewlett Packard engineer, Charlie Trimble, the organisation-¦s roots were firmly planted in global positioning systems. With the merger of Spectra Precision in 2000, the seeds of the modern day Trimble were sown. Operating in over 50 countries, with nearly 6,000 employees and over $2 billion in annual revenue, Trimble is known for solutions that enable workforce productivity. Trimble is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California.

Trimble has a significant presence in India with offices and development centres in Chennai, Pune, Bengaluru and Delhi NCR. Our targeted solutions enable architects, engineers and fabricators, MEP contractors, general contractors and construction managers, and building owners to realise greater agility, efficiency and insight. Tekla Structures, Vico, SketchUp Pro are some of the most popular software in the Indian construction industry.

How do you market your products in India as the practices followed here are little old as compared to the rest of the developed world?
The BIM revolution is ongoing and accelerating. BIM has much more potential to change the whole industry than CAD ever had. CAD was just a more efficient way of creating the same end result that pencil and papers were used for - the drawing. When BIM becomes a key tool for architects, structural and mechanical designers, fabricators and manufacturers, contractors and subcontractors, drawings will lose their position as the original basic data for construction. They will become reports from the model. People will be able to do it themselves, extract whatever building information from the model and, if necessary, print it out on paper - they will not need someone else to prepare that information for them. The focus clearly today is integrating BIM into processes and daily activities, and Tekla intends to be at the core of this development.

Tekla has been at the forefront of helping the industry become more aware and use the benefits of BIM. Tekla leverages various platforms, which include tradeshows, conferences, Tekla-led seminars and webinars, industry forums to spread the word on how BIM is beneficial for the construction industry.

Provide more information on Tekla BIMSight. How will it help designers? Also share some examples where this product has been used.
Tekla BIMsight is a product to combine models, check for clashes and share information using the same easy-to-use BIM environment - for free.

The American General Contractor Hensel Phelps is using Tekla BIMsight extensively while they construct a design-build data centre. Tekla BIMsight is not only their coordination tool, but also a communication tool used in the field with mobile jobsite kiosks and tablets. They have really noticed the benefits of using models instead of drawings, and plan to use Tekla BIMsight in the future as well. Hensel Phelps - a general contractor based in Colorado with districts all around the USA - is currently constructing a design-build data centre. The project involves a great deal of coordination between all divisions of construction, specifically MEP and structural elements of the building.

Project requirements stipulate all designers and subcontractors provide accurate, current Revit models throughout design and construction.
With access to highly detailed models, the project team is using Tekla BIMsight extensively as a coordination and a communication tool. The company has constructed a mobile jobsite kiosk, which allows easy access to digital drawings and the Tekla BIMsight models. Any worker on-site can go to the kiosk to work out field issues, check RFIs, navigate the models, and come to resolutions - all without having to come back to the job trailers.

About 15 members of the Hensel Phelps project team are currently using Tekla BIMsight on a daily basis. The team explained, their superintendents utilised Tekla BIMsight as a communication and coordination tool between trades. The project is very mechanically and electrically involved, so Tekla BIMsight allows sequences of work to be visualised in order to efficiently construct complex MEP elements of the building. Due to the extensive MEP coordination efforts needed during the design/build process, quality control personnel have implemented the use of Tekla BIMsight as a clash detection tool. Additionally, Tekla BIMsight is used by quality control members in the field during inspections. Using a DELL XPS 12 hybrid PC, the model can be referenced to ensure correct as-built conditions compared to the design intent.

What kind of services did Tekla offer for airport terminal 1B?
With the advent of new airlines and increasing operations of the existing airlines the current terminal was found to be inadequate. Hence modification was undertaken to expand the terminal and optimise the requirements for the coming decades and provide world class facilities to passengers. This terminal building has been described in India as a marvel of design, engineering, and technology.

Tekla Structures was used for modeling and detailing of the entire structure. The main feature of the project was its shape, the shape of the rafter. Tekla Structures made it simple and easy to complete the project within specified time. It took around 15 days for the detailers to fix the geometry of the rafter as per the requirement of architect and client. The capsule-shaped two plates were welded to join with each other thus giving the shape to the rafter. A single truss was made of eight segments of capsule-shaped plates. Detailing of the model using Tekla Structures software made fabrication and erection easier and helped fix the erection methodology for the structure.

What are the products specially designed for concrete contractors?
For a concrete contractor, an accurate 3D Tekla model delivers benefit at every stage of the construction process. Quantity take-off is fast and accurate, giving out better estimates. With the help of Tekla BIMsight & Tekla Structures it becomes easy to save on time, money and reduce on site errors but also helps in keeping the engineers and contractors informed.

Using the Tekla-¦s purpose-built solution for concrete construction, contractors can get information at any stage of the design and construction process and they can access easy to use tools to create concrete models. As all information is created in 3D, it is easier to change the design during the bidding phase and thereby generating accurate quantities at much faster rate.

What are your products for precast fabricators? What is the progress on this front?
Tekla BIMsight & Tekla Structures offer a configuration specially developed for precasters by precasters. This model provides readable data for optimising the manufacturing process. The fabricators can use the software to create, combine and distribute highly detailed, accurate and information-rich structural models. The Precast Concrete Detailing software comes with a library of design details and fabricators can model and include precast and cast-in-place concrete, steel, timber or any other material.

Some of the key benefits are:

Reduce waste, total cost and time.

Minimise design and fabrication errors.

Manage changes easily.

Standardise your production by using own profiles and standards.

All materials in one model.

Link to fabrication machinery.

Which are the products used by the structural engineers?
Models created with Tekla Structures BIM software helps to calculate the accurate, reliable and detailed information needed for successful Building Information Modeling and construction execution. Tekla Structures is one software solution that has different configurations to match different needs of our customers. Tekla Structures has 30 localised environments and 14 user interface languages to make using and implementing the software easier around the world.

With Tekla software, structural engineers can work more effectively - in the way they want, focusing on engineering instead of documentation, thereby enabling them to achieve higher accuracy, consistency and quality in the core work and deliver a valuable model for contractor.

Tekla BIMsight offers a professional, free tool for construction collaboration which integrates with industry leading analysis and design software, and makes possible coordination with architects, consultants and contractors.

Which Tekla product is used for job execution?
Tekla software supports your construction coordination, quantity and cost estimation and scheduling and sequencing. The constructable building information is accurate, consistent and always up-to-date. Tekla-¦s construction design software helps contractors manage risk and plan for successful construction process. If you detect and avoid problems before construction begins, you minimise expensive delay and rework. Design insight and project predictability from preconstruction to execution delivers more effective planning, coordination and control. With Tekla, you can create and combine information-rich models, regardless of the file size or complexity. The software also includes tools for project review and constructability analysis.

What is your commitment to corporate social responsibility?
Tekla India understands and accepts its responsibility as a responsible corporate citizen. As an example, we contributed to the Prime Minister-¦s Relief Fund, after the Nepal earthquake, and we will continue to contribute to worthy causes as a socially responsible corporation.

How do you see the business scenario in the country for next 10 years?
The business sentiment in the country is positive and we expect that the construction industry will maintain its growth momentum and consequently, Tekla is also well poised to grow significantly in the years to come.